Hampton Motor Group - Round 12 Aftermath
Chairman Tony’s decision to allow American manufacturer MAD to buy a majority stake in Hampton had finally paid off - the new truck/SUV range for the 2013 model year had been well-received since its introduction partway through 2012, and sold very well globally as a result. The new range of passenger cars was equally successful, but Tony knew that the future would bring more challenges for him to overcome.
One cool November evening, Tony took one last look at the reviews in a recent issue of Motor Review World - and a few of them caught his eye:
He expected nothing less than greatness from the Brigand, and according to the press, that’s exactly what it delivered in spades - unsurprising, considering that it was effectively a Valiant on stilts. However, Hampton’s closest rivals, Katsuro, had squandered their chance to reinforce their claim in the burgeoning truck/SUV sector - and for once, Tony felt sorry for them:
“Well, it seems we don’t have as much to fear from Katsuro as we first thought - in the truck/SUV market at least. And I know exactly why - they have simply not known enough about what it takes to succeed there. Therefore, our fiercest opposition in that sector now comes from certain North American makes instead - RCM and Ardent are among them. However, we still have an excellent reputation across the board according to our customers, and we can build on that to carry Hampton into a bright new future.”
And so Chairman Tony returned to his desk, knowing that he had done the best job possible during this time, with a worthy successor waiting for him in the pipeline when he eventually retires. Exactly who that person would be, however, is a story for another post.
Many thanks to @VicVictory for hosting this competition, and all the entrants for making it so entertaining even after 11 months! I never thought I would do well, let alone finish second overall! Hats off to all the category and overall winners as well, both for individual rounds and the whole tournament. In fact, this is the most fun I’ve ever had on these forums - and a very tough act to follow!